This Is Why Can't Have Nice Things

When a child mysteriously disappears from a small town and even his mother seems indifferent, it’s time for the new sheriff to step in. Meet Chris Baker, the new sheriff of the quiet Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. As one inexplicable case after another forces him to confront the townsfolk in The Skylark Diner, it’s the furtive Gavin Patchett that hands Chris a collection of not-so-fictional short stories that tumbles him into a world of monsters, ageless demons, and vengeful citizens. As Chris reads through the stories the veil starts to lift, and he soon questions what is real and what’s not, and whether he really wants to know. Nothing will ever be the same again. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

I go deaf in an attempt to save James Duncan. He falls to his knees before my parents and begs them to let me marry him. He says he'll care for me for life. He finally passes his five-year test, but he sleeps with his lover before our wedding. He does it before my very eyes. He clamps a hand over her mouth and says, "Be quiet. Don't wake Layla up." His lover giggles and nibbles on his palm. "What's there to be afraid of? She's deaf; she can't hear us." James doesn't know that I've already regained my hearing. He and his lover are also unaware that their behavior is being livestreamed.

"𝒪𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈." -Martin Luther King. Jr. What is light? I don't know... Maybe will never know... Noah Carter, a seventeen years old teen, who joins The Royal High School after being homeschooled for his whole life because of his blindness, finds himself a mystery man whom he falls in love with...

On the day of Lucas' engagement, he managed to get a few lackeys to keep me occupied, and by the time I stepped out the police station, done with questioning, it was already dark outside. Arriving home, I stood there on the doorstep and eavesdropped on Lucas and his friends talking about me. "I was afraid she'd cause trouble, so I got her to spend the whole day at the police station. I made sure that everything would be set in stone by the time she got out." Shaking my head with a bitter laugh, I blocked all of Lucas' contacts and went overseas without any hesitation. That night, Lucas lost all his composure, kicking over a table and smashing a bottle of liquor, sending glass shards flying all over the floor. "She's just throwing a tantrum because she's jealous… She'll come back once she gets over it…" What he didn't realize, then, was that this wasn't just a fit of anger or a petty tantrum. This time, I truly didn't want him anymore.

Thirty would be Alpha males determined to prove themselves and practically bursting with testosterone stuck on a mountain together. Oh, make that twenty-nine males and one stubborn female. All because Alpha Braden of Misty Glen has every confidence his daughter is just as good, if not the best that the werewolf world has to offer in terms of a leader. She’s been raised to believe she’s just as strong, smart and capable as any male. Dakota is convinced nothing could stand in the way of proving herself. Except of course, finding out that her partner at the alpha Blood Creek camp is none other than her fated mate. Dex has always been the strong silent type, but meeting Dakota forces him to see everything through new eyes. The eyes… of a mate. Excerpt: My wolf lets out a low growl to assert his dominance, and to let this creature know that we are not going to take the bait. It’s actually a brilliant idea. There’s literally no chance any males would expect this kind of trap. So dangling a sweet smelling and likely beautiful she-wolf in front of us makes sense. Only there’s nothing else out here. Nothing at all. Where the hell is the wildlife? And surely there are some camp people out here to witness this? Not that I think anyone would physically hurt a female but… They wouldn’t be dumb enough to throw her literally to the wolves would they?

Alyssa Taylor kept her true identity a secret during her marriage to Jasper Beckett. She thought her burning passion would warm his stone-cold heart, but after three years as promised, all he gives her is a divorce agreement. Disappointed, Alyssa goes through with the divorce and goes back to being the scion of the wealthy Taylor family.Not only is she filthy rich, but she’s also a skilled doctor, elite hacker, and champion fencer. At an auction, she spends money like water to embarrass the other woman who ruined her marriage, and in the business world, she snaps up all of her ex-husband’s deals. Stunned, Jasper questions her, “Alyssa, do you have to be so ruthless?” In answer, she only smiles and says, “This is nothing but a tiny fraction of what you did to me before!”

Divorced, humiliated, and betrayed by her ex-husband and best friend after she caught her ex-husband proposing to her best friend on the day that was supposed to be their son’s death anniversary. Elodie vows to avenge the humiliation that she caused as she joins hands with her ex-husband's most hated enemy who was presumed dead before, Marcel, the rogue king. What would happen when Elodie finds out that she is pregnant for her ex-husband, Darius ? What would happen when Darius realizes that he has been living a lie and now, he wants his unwanted Luna and his triplets? How would he get them back when the Rogue King claims his children and his ex-wife as his? Would Darius get them back or would he be destroyed in the wave of Elodie’s wrath?

Keira Nathania, si gadis introvert berumur 16 tahun yang tumbuh besar di sebuah panti bernama Dream High. Walaupun serba kekurangan ia sangat senang tinggal di tempat itu. Karena baginya tempat itu mengajarkan arti dari kesederhanaan, kesabaran, dan keikhlasan. Kasih sayang yang teramat cukup pun ia dapatkan dari panti itu. Di sekolah, dia tidak pernah membuat masalah atau mendapat masalah, baik secara akademis, hubungan dengan teman-temannya, maupun hubungan dengan guru-gurunya. Namun, kondisinya yang baik-baik saja seketika berubah. Bermetamorfosa menghadirkan luka dan lara. Tak sesuai keinginannya. Keira harus menerima pil pahit, bahwa ia telah dibully oleh temannya, Laura. Semua ini bermula ketika Keira mengetahui fakta bahwa Laura menjadi penyebab meninggalnya Tsania, teman Keira. Untuk menutupi kejahatannya, Laura pun terus mengancam Keira. Pembullyan, kesedihan, dan cemoohan yang dirasakan Keira dari orang yang selalu merisaknya, tak disangka mengantarkannya kepada peristiwa besar yang menegangkan dan mengubah kehidupannya. Dan ketika itu Keira tak disangka menyerah akan hidupnya bunuh diri di atas jembatan dan menenggelamkan diri ke laut. Namun seseorang telah menyelamatkannya. Sang kakak, Karin yang merupakan kembarannya Keira. Bertahun-tahun lamanya ia hadir dan menolong Keira yang sudah tenggelam di laut. Namun Karin berakhir dengan kehilangan ingatannya sedangkan Keira selamat. Akhirnya Karin yang disangka meninggal padahal ia lupa ingatan dan sembunyi di suatu tempat. Di sisi lain Keira diangkat menjadi anak angkat ibu Karin yang sedang mencari informasi tentang saudara kembar anak angkatnya. Keira menjalani kehidupan sebagai Karin, ia merasa bahagia. Hadirnya dua sahabat yang peduli dengannya dan dua sosok pria yaitu Rakha dan Nathan yang mewarnai hari-harinya. Akan tetapi dibalik kebahagiaan, kegelisahan pun cukup menghantui Keira. Permusuhan dimulai kembali ketika sosok teman lama pindah ke sekolah yang sama dan berusaha untuk membocorkan identitas Keira yang sebenarnya. Namun tak disangka sang kakak yaitu Karin muncul kembali dan menyelamatkan sang adik dari Laura yang selalu menindasnya.

Pregnant and humiliated: this is how her husband, the successful businessman Maximilian Phillips, left her. Left to her own devices, Mariana struggles to overcome the tragedy and be a good mother. She did not expect, however, that the father of her child would be deeply sorry and willing to fight to win her back. Will she ever forgive him?